A Simple Vision: Planning for the New Year

Vision is the ability to plan for the future based on everything that you have learned so far. But if you don't know what you want, then it's hard to plan for it — regardless of intellect or ability.

What do you want? We're facing the new year, again. And I can't help but wonder - are you any closer to that dream?

Simple Questions

Did you hire the people you thought you needed? Did you train or retrain the team that you already have?

Did you expand or enhance the products or services that you offer? Have you improved your bottom line with better marketing?

Did you launch that business? Did you let go of something that doesn't work?

Have you positioned yourself to move forward, even if it's baby steps? Did you learn something new that can advance your business? Have you prepared to execute it as soon as possible?

Vision is simpler than we think.

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It's seeing the future — based on what you saw yesterday, what you see today and what you imagine for tomorrow. And if you have the foresight to benefit from the team around you, then you are really on to something.

Planning doesn't have to be complicated, but it has to take place — consistently. And you don't have to wait to the new year to do it, but you do have to do it — religiously, because "shooting from the hip" may get you started, but it can't sustain a business beyond your lifetime.

What do you see, do and expect?

Vision is not only the ability to see, it's also our strategy for doing something about what we see, and our right to expect a new future because of those actions.

Take the time to jot down your three biggest lessons from this year. Be aware of how you learned those lessons. What price did you pay to know what you know?

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For some, these lessons will be top of mind.

For others, you'll have to dig a little. To help you unearth your hidden lessons, record your three biggest successes and failures of the year. You can learn from everything, so write them down, because even the mistakes carry insights if we pay attention.

Beside the failures, write down what you learned and three things you can do to keep them from happening again.

Beside the successes, write down

what you learned,

the actions that you will imitate in future projects, and

three things you can do to make it better the next time around.

This exercise is a jumping-off point.

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If you discover the lessons, you can build something stronger in the new year — one day, one deliberate action at a time.